Valve



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Jan. 29, `1935.

f BY i Z A TTORNEY.

Patented Jeu. 29, 1935 VALVE August L. segelherst, Huntington Beach,auaV Lewis F. Davis, Santa Ana, Calif., assignors to -Win. B. Shaier,Brea, Calif.

Y Application Nuvember 19, 1930, serial Nu. 496,612 i 3 V, (ci. 251-159)This invention is a valve particularly applicable as a blow-outpreventer for oil wells and the like; and has for its object to provideavalvular means whichnormally has an open unobstructed bore but which isreadily operated for concentrically closing its bore, with packingpreferably provided at the closure means and adapted for positiveactuation so as to insure a tight seal.

More particularly it is an object of the invention to provide a valvularmeans comprising diametrically opposite and radially shiftable closureelements adapted when moved away -from one another to define a normalopen bore and adapted to close said bore when moved toward oneanshifting the closure elements so as to maintain a co centric boreduring 'shifting of the closuref ele ents.

t is a further object of the invention to provide pa king for theclosure elements adapted to form a uid-tight seal and longitudinallyoperatively expanded by the radial abutment of the closure elementsAwhen the latter are in closed position. e I It is a still further objectof the invention to mount the vulvular means in well casing or the ilikeand recess they proximate faces of the coop- `erating closure elementsso that .when in` closed position they will encircle and snugly engagedrill pipe which extends into the well and thereby shut-oil the bore ofthe casing in the event of a blow-out, with the cooperating closureelements when in open position spaced radially from the drill pipe so asto provide an unobstructed open bore' for the well casing.

`Further objects of-the invention will be readily understood from vthefollowing description of the accompanying drawing, in which: Fig. 1 isan axialsection through well casing showing the improved valveoperatively assembled. l Fig. 2 isa transverse section'` on the line 2-2of Fig. 1. Y

Fig.'3 i'sa'section on the line '3-3 of Fig. 2.

' .45 The valve may be employed wherever a tight shut-off'for a bore isdesired, but is particularly applicable and is herein shown anddescribed as a blow-out preventer for. an oil well lor the like,

for which purpose the valve is mounted between adjacent lengths rofusual well casing 1 which is adapted to receive a usual string of drillpipe 2.

The valve preferably comprises cooperating and lateally projectingcasing sections 3 4,

adapted for anged abutment as shown at 5 and preferably connected bylbolts '6, with alined bosses 7 at the outer faces ofthe casing sectionsconnected to proximate lengths of well casing by means '.of studs 8.

Cooperating closure elements 9-10 are slidably mounted in the valvecasing for movement 5 transversely'of the axis of the well casing, andfor this purpose one section of the valve casing, shown as section 4, isrecessed so as to Iform a closed transverse guideway 11 adapted toslidably receive the elements 9-10, with the closure ele- 10 mentsretained in the guideway by the overlying and cooperating casing section3; and the' closure n elements preferably slidable on ribs l2 at theinner faces of `casing sections 3-4, with said ribs preferably merginginto annular seats 13 'in 15 alinement with bosses 7, and the bores `14of said annular seats opening through the casing sections 3-4 forcommunication with the proximate lengths of the well casing.

The closure elements 9-10 are adapted for de- 20 pendent shifting inguideway 11, for abutment of the proximate ends o f the elements at anaxial plan of bores 14 for closing said bores or opposite shifting of,the elements away from one another so as to open the bores; and in theillustrated embodiment of the invention wherein the drill pipe 2projects through bores 14,`-ti1e proximate ends .of the closure elementsinstead of forming straight `abutmentfsurfaces extending the entirewidth of said elements, so as to close the entire'area of bores 14, aremedially recessed or incurved as shown at 15 with radial surfaces 16beyondthe respective ends of said recesses, whereby the surfaces '16 areadapted for diametrical abutment when the valvular means is closed, withthe recesses 15 cooperating to dene a bore which nts around the drillpipe 2.

The mechanism for-dependently shifting the closure elements is adaptedto simultaneously and equally shift said elements `as to the drill pipe2 during opening and closing of the valvular means; and as an instance.of thisarrangement one of the closure elements, shown as element 9, maybe formed witha guide frame 17 projecting lengthwise of casing 3-4 andadapted for sliding movement in guideway,11,with the cooperating element10 slidably mounted irl the guide frame which terminates in a cross head18 in back of element 10, and actuating mechanism engaging the crosshead 18 and the element 10 for dependently oppositely shifting thecooperating closure elements. l

The actuating mechanism is shown asa shaft 19 journaled in the end ofcasing 4 in back of cross head 18 and held against longitudinal moveument by thrust collars 20, with the inner end of the shaft forming ascrew 21 which threaded through cross head 18, and a screw 22 which`projects from closure element 10 adapted for telescopic threadedreception in a bore of the screw 21, with the screws 21-22oppositelythreaded for opposite shifting-of closure elements 9- 10responsive to rotation of shaft 19, and the screws being adapted toequi-distantly shift the oppositely moving closure elements.v It willthus be seen that rotation of shaft 19 in one direction is adapted toretract the closure elementsA 9-10 in their casing 3-4 so as to leavethe bores 14 unobstructed except for the depending drill pipe 2, whileopposite rotation of shaft 19 will move the closure elements toward oneanother Aso as to lfirmly vabut at their surfaces 16, with theirrecesses 15 -tting snugly around drill pipe 2 so as to completelyshut-olf the bores 14, 'and the bore defined by the closure elements atclosing moment maintained concentric with bores 14 and the Adrill pipe2, due to the simultaneous and equal opposite shifting of the closureelements by their dependent operating mechanism. The shaft 19 may berotated by any 'suitable means, and is preferably' adapted for remotecontrol as for example by a shaft 25 having universal joints 26, andpreferably provided with a manual actuating means (not shown). u

The valvular means as thus described is preferably provided with packingadapted to fo'rm a fluid -tight seal, with the packing preferablyoperatively expanded by the abutment of cooperating closure elements9-10 and adapted to form a radial seal between the cooperating elementsand also provide a longitudinal seal between the closure elements andthe casing 3 4.

For this purpose the packing which is preferably of a flexible resilientmaterial such as rubber, may be mounted in'closure4 elements 9--10 so asto project beyondhe surfaces 15 and 16 of said elements, and responsiveto radialpressure against the packing resulting from the abutment yondthe faces 30-31v of the closure elements which engage the ribs 12 andA'seats 13 of the respective casing sections 3 and 4. As an instance ofthis arrangement each of the elements 9 and 10 is semi-circularlyrecessed at the medial portion of its abutment surfaces 15-16 andbetween its faces 30-31 as shown at 32, with said recess opening throughthe faces 30-31 adjacent the periphery of thesemi-circular recess asshown at 33, and the recessed closure element forming an integralstructure as a result of connecting ribs 34 projecting from theperipheral wall of recess 32 with the top and bottom of the ribs spacedfrom the semi-circular openings 33 as shown in Fig. 1, and the ribsterminating in partit-ions extending upwardly and downwardly to thewalls of the closure element and formed integral therewith, with thepartitions 35 preferably terminating just short' of the abutmentsurfaces 15-16.

The packing for each closure element is preferably molded in place andfills the recess 32 around the ribs 34 and the partitions 35 as shown at37, with the packing preferably projecting slightly beyond and following'the contour of abutment surfaces 15-16 as shown at 15a-16a, andextensions 37a of the packing fill the openings 33 with the outersurfaces of said extensions normally flush with the faces 30-31 of theclosure element. It will thus be seenthat with the elements 9-10 inclosed position, the abutment ofthe cooperating surfaces 16a of thepacking of ythe respective closureelements, together with the abutmentof packing surfaces 15a against d rill pipe 2, will tightly seal of! theclosure elements relative to the drill pipe, and

the radial pressure against the packing responsive to the shifting ofthe closure elements to tightly closed position, longitudinally expandsthe packing 37a beyond the faces 30-31 for tight sealing engagement withseats 13.

In order to direct maximum radial pressure against the peripheralportion of the packing from which the extensions 37a project, andthereby insure operative longitudinal expansion of said extensions, theribs 34 and partitions 35 are preferably approximately radiallydisposed, but the ribs and partitions which are adjacent the sides ofthe closure element 'as viewed in Fig. 2 and Y which are designated 34aand 35a, are pneferably offset fromexact radial alinement so.that theprojecting ends of the partitions are laterally spaced beyond trueradial lines A, and the pressure exerted against both faces of the ribsand partitions thus provides a wedging action for squeezing the packingtoward. its peripheral portion from which the extensions 37a project. Inorder to insure uniform operative expansion of the entire peripheries ofextensions 37a, the portions of partitions 35 projecting above and be.-

low the ribs 34 preferably convergently taper at their inner `ends asshown at 39 so that 4substantially uniform pressure is exerted againstthe entire peripheral portion of the packing from which the extensions37a project; and in order that maximum longitudinal expansive force maybe directed against extensions 37a, the walls of the closure elementpreferably form undercut shoulders at the openings 33, and saidshoulders may taper 'toward said'openings as shown at 41.

The invention thus provides a valvular means particularly adapted foruse as a blo'w-out preventer for oil wells, and adapted for dependent.and equal opposite shifting of'cooperating closure elements so as todefine an open unobvclosure elements adapted for relative oppositesliding movement in the casing to open or close va bore, means foroppositely shifting' the closure elements, the proximate surfaces ofvthe closure elements being semi-circularly recessed concentric with theproximate surfaces ofthe closure elements with the bases of saidrecesses opening through the walls of the closure elements whichslldably engage the casing, ribs in said recesses integral with theclosure elements and projecting forwardly from the bases of saidrecesses approximately radially to said recesses but with the forwardends of next adjacent ribs laterally spaced slightly beyond radiallines, and packing molded in said recesses around the ribs andprojecting through said openings, the packing on the' cooperatingclosure elements being adapted for. abutment when the bore is closed soas to radially seal said bore and longitudinally elements being recessedwith the bases of said recesses opening through the walls of the closureelements which slidably engage the casing, ribs in said recessesintegral with the closure 'elements and projecting forwardly from thebases of said recesses in spaced relation from said walls of the closureelements and terminating at their forward ends and in front of theopenings at the bases of the recesses in partitions extendinglongitudinally tothe said walls, the rear ends of said partitionsconvergently tapering longitudinally beyond -the ribs,4 and packingmolded in the recesses around the ribs and partitions and projectingthrough the said openv ings, the packing on the cooperating closureelements being adapted for abutment when the bore is closed so astoradially'seal said bore and longitudinally expand the packing throughsaid openings for sealing engagement with the casing.

, 3. A valve comprising cooperating closure elements adapted foi'relative opposite sliding move-v ment to open or .close a bore, meansfor oppositely shifting the closure elements, the proximate surfaces ofthe closure elements being recessed, radial; spaced ribs in each of saidrecesses integral with the closure elements and projecting forwardly.from the bases of said recesses, and packing molded in the recessesaround the ribs and projecting beyond the proximate surfaces of theclosure elements for sealing abutment when vthe bore is closed.

. AUGUST L. SEGELHORST.

LEWIS F. DAVIS.

